In anticipation of a huge wave of migrants, it has been reported that around 700,000 illegal immigrants, a number greater than the population of Boston, are poised to cross the US-Mexico border as soon as President Joe Biden revokes the public health authority called Title 42 on May 11. Initially implemented by former President Donald Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this directive has allowed federal immigration officers to promptly send millions of unauthorized individuals back to Mexico over the last three years.
As the conclusion of Title 42 looms, the Biden administration intends to broaden its Catch and Release program and station 1,500 U.S. troops at the border to accelerate the processing of incoming migrants. This forthcoming “mass migration event” is poised to significantly affect border communities such as Yuma, Arizona, potentially leading to unparalleled monthly surges in illegal immigration surpassing the populations of major American cities. Nevertheless, some critics argue that the deployment of 1,500 U.S. troops by Biden may be more symbolic than practical, as it is uncertain whether this number of troops can effectively manage the estimated 700,000 illegal immigrants ready to flood the border.
According to Breitbart:
On May 11, though, Biden will end Title 42 and expand its Catch and Release network to quickly move border crossers and illegal aliens into the U.S. interior — including deploying 1,500 U.S. troops to the border to free up federal immigration officials to process arrivals at a faster pace.
During a Yuma County Board of Supervisors meeting this week, supervisor Jonathan Lines revealed that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have warned them that as many as 700,000 migrants are waiting in Mexico to rush the border when Title 42 ends.
Americans in U.S. border towns like Yuma are especially hard hit by illegal immigration.
In February, Dr. Robert Trenschel of the Yuma Regional Medical Center detailed how in just one year, local taxpayers were left with $26 million in unpaid medical bills from border crossers and illegal aliens who showed up to the hospital needed care. That amount is set to increase, Trenschel said, when Title 42 ends.
Following Title 42’s end, close to 400,000 border crossers and illegal aliens are projected to arrive at the border every month. Such a monthly inflow of illegal immigration would exceed the resident population of New Orleans, Louisiana.
During President Biden’s tenure, there has been an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants arriving at the border, while Vice President Kamala Harris has only made one visit to the border during her time in office. With the expected influx of 700,000 migrants after the termination of Title 42, experts predict that around 400,000 individuals could arrive at the border each month.
Some specialists propose repurposing Title 42 to address the lethal fentanyl crisis, which claims over 100,000 American lives annually. This idea has gained support from House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Senate Republicans like Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).
The choice to end Title 42 could lead to disorder at the southern border and incentivize more illegal immigration. Consequently, the administration should implement policies to manage illegal immigration, and lawmakers ought to explore alternatives to abolishing Title 42, such as repurposing it to tackle the fatal fentanyl crisis.
